Saturday, November 5, 2011

Ober's Legacy

The Shipstead Nolan-Act was the catalyst for the creation and federal approval of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which established the U.S. preservation system. This Wilderness Act is very important in the history of the Boundary Waters. It basically marked the birth of the BWCA (eventually to be named the BWCAW) and helped to keep big industry and modern civilization away from the wilderness. For example, it greatly decreased the amount of logging and mining that could occur in U.S. designated wilderness areas, including the BWCAW. Motorized vehicles were banned for the most part, except in outlying lakes (near towns) where they had already been used for quite some time. The Act did not fully protect the Boundary Waters against mining and logging, since it was not geared towards just one wilderness area; that would be left up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act of 1978.

The Wilderness Act of 1978 was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 21, 1978 and virtually sealed the deal for the Boundary Waters; it built upon the previous act of 1964 by adding stronger protection and regulations that were more specifically attuned to the Boundary Waters. It also officially named the area the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, beforehand it had just been named the BWCA. The Act added 50,000 acres to the wilderness area, leading the BWCAW to exceed a million, reaching the 1,098,057 acres that it has remained at today. In terms of protection, as Wilbers describes in his timeline, the Act "bans logging, mineral prospecting, and mining; all but bans snowmobile use; limits motorboats and motorized portages." The Act was true to its word; by 1979, after 87 years of the practice, logging in the BWCAW came to a dead halt. The Boundary Waters was finally free from harm and so far, has managed to stay that way (except, of course, for the random forest fire every now and then, experienced a few weeks ago).

When the 1964 Act was passed, Ober had just turned 80. He was getting to be pretty far along in his life but still managed to keep a guiding hand on the wilderness movement. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his guidance in the Act of 1978, since Ober was not even around when the bill was passed through congress; he had died a year earlier, in 1977, at the age of 93. I'm sure it would have made him extremely happy to see all his hard work pay off. Although he did not play a big part in the 1964 Act and certainly not the 1978 Act these two Acts never would have taken place without his initial leadership, the creation of his program, and his struggle to pass the Shipstead-Nolan Act through Congress. In fact, he created the very organization that was the main push behind the passing of the Wilderness Acts: The Wilderness Society. He was the honorary vice president from the start of the Society in 1935 until 1968. Thus, even though he didn't spearhead the fight for the creation and approval of the two Acts, he nonetheless had a strong presence in every victory there was to be had for the Boundary Waters and other wilderness areas, even after his death.

It is pretty obvious: without Ober there would be no Boundary Waters, or certainly not the BWCAW that we know and love today. Ober was way ahead of his time. He saw the potential in the early 1900s for the mass extermination of nature's precious existence in the Quetico-Superior area (by big industry) and proceeded to fight tooth and nail to make sure the wild he knew would never be silenced or conquered. Thank goodness for his efforts because he has given us one of the greatest gifts possible, the BWCAW.

The BWCAW is quite simply, a gem; a diamond in the rough. There is no place like it and the beauty it contains never ceases to amaze me. As Paul Gruchow writes in his book, The Grace of the Wild: The wilderness speaks to our capacity for delight and wonder: The water tumbling from one lake into the next, the laughter of loons, the howling of wolves. . .daily reminding us along the way of the grace abounding in the world (p.g. 7)." This, nature, is what Ober fought for. He put his whole life on hold in order to save the BWCAW, so that I and others would have a place to come back to; a place to call home.

As long as the BWCAW thrives, so will Ober's legacy. His presence remains in every nook and cranny of the Boundary Waters; from the hordes of mosquitoes that stalk campers endlessly while portaging, to the sound of the water lapping against the shore at night. He may be an unsung hero but it just takes one listen to realize that his legacy is definitely, very much alive. I recognize it every time I return home to the Boundary Waters: in the creak of the majestic pines floating over my head, the feel of the warm sun upon my back as I lay out on a rock, the sound of my canoe paddle as it swiftly breaks the water's surface, the undulating flap of my tent in the wind as I rest inside its protection, and the call of a loon as I slowly drift off into a blissful slumber, completely, utterly exhausted, but content. Ober gave me this, gave all of us this. After all, it is Ober that we have to thank for nature's Minnesotan playground; otherwise known as the BWCAW. Although he may not get the credit he deserves, his legacy is impossible to forget. Alas, for all your struggles, your insight, your determination and your love of nature, thank you Ober. I cannot speak for others, but I know for an undeniable fact, that you will always be one of my greatest heroes.